Earth anchor



Nov. 30, 1943.

C. R. PIEIIPER EARTHQANCHOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 13, 1943 l. H A

Nov. 30, 1943.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Nov. 30, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFlCE EARTH ANCHOR Chester R. Pieper, Warrenton, M0.

Application May 13, 1943, Serial No. 486,779

10 Claims.

This invention relates generally to earth anchors adapted for use in anchoring to earth, guys and other bracing and supporting elements, and more specifically to an earth anchor of the type which includes a plurality of pivoted blades that are adapted to be expanded into undisturbed earth adjacent to a hole in which the unexpanded anchor is introduced, for fixedly positioning the anchor in place in the earth, the predominant object of the invention being to provide an earth anchor of the type mentioned which is made up largely of parts stamped from sheet steel or other suitable sheet material, which anchor is of extremely simple yet durable construction and consequently is relatively inexpensive to produce, and which is capable of performing its intended function in a highly efiicient manner.

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the improved earth anchor.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the anchor illustrated in Fig. 1.

Fig.3 is a horizontal section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary vertical section taken through the anchor illustrated in Fig. 1, the lower portion of the anchor rod being broken away.

Fig. 5 i a fragmentary plan view illustrating portions of the blanks from which the blades of the improved anchor are produced.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged, fragmentary section taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 1.

Fig. '7 i an enlarged, fragmentary, plan view of the improved anchor, the anchor rod being shown in section.

Fig Sis a side elevation of the improved anchor showing same in an expanded condition,

In the drawings, wherein is shown for the purpose of illustration, merely, one embodiment of the invention, A designates the improved earth anchor generally. The anchor A include a pair of blades I and 2 which are formed from sheet steel or other suitable heet material, said blades, when viewed in edge elevation, having the shapes and curvatures illustrated in Fig. 2. The blades I and 2 are each provided with longitudinally extended, outwardly and inwardly projected strengthening ribs, as is shown to the best advantage in Fig. 3, each blade having an out wardly projected rib 3, which extends longitudinally of the blade at the approximate transverse center thereof, and a plurality of ribs 4 which likewise extend longitudinally of the blade and are alternately projected inwardly and outwardly of the blade. As shown to the best advantage in Fig. 4, the innermost pair of inwardly projected ribs 4 of each blade are shaped to provide said blade with shoulders 5 which serve a function to be hereinafter set forth. It will be noted by referring particularly to Fig. 3 that the opposed, outwardly projected ribs 3 of the assembled blades I and 2 of the anchor A are of greater height and width than the ribs 4, and as will presently appear herein, the portions of these ribs which are located adjacent to the point of pivotal attachment of the blades provide a space between the blades, when said blades are in a folded or collapsed condition as shown in Figs. 2 and 4, through which the anchor rod 6 of the anchor extends.

Each of the blades I and 2 is provided at corresponding ends thereof with extension which provide eyes which serve a function in providing for the pivotal interconnection of the blades. The drawings show each blade as being provided with four of such extensions, although obviously a greater or lesser number of such extensions may be employed, the extensions of the blade I being designated by the reference characters I, 8, 9, and I0, while the extensions of the blade 2 are designated by the reference characters II, I2, I3, and I4. In producing the eyes of the blades the extensions thereof are bent to provide substantially circular eye portions as shown in Figs. 2 and 4. Also, each blade extension is shaped to provide same with a tail portion I5 which extends from the substantially circular portion of the eye produced by said blade extension, said tail portion of each blade extension being welded, or otherwise secured, to an adjacent portion of the blade of which the extension forms a part. As shown in Figs. 21 and 4, the eyes of the blades I and 2 are projected laterally with respect to the blades, the eyes of the blade I being projected in one direction and the eyes of the blade 2 being projected in the opposite direction. Additionally, the eye-producing extensions of the blades of the anchor A are provided with strengthening ribs I6 which extend longitudinally of said extensions.

In interconnecting the blades I and 2 for pivotal movement, said blades are brought to such assembled relation that the eyes of the blades are disposed in alined relation, the eyes of the blades occupying the relative positions in which the eye-producing extensions of the blades are shown in Fig. 5. It will be noted that Fig. 5 shows a space ll between the eye-producing, blade extensions i and i l, a similar space I8 between the eye-producing, blade extensions I0 and Ii, and a wider space I9 between the eyeproducing, blade extensions 9 and I3, and the formed and assembled eyes of the blades have similar spaces which are provided for a purpose to be hereinafter set forth. The blades I and 2 are connected for pivotal movement by pivot pins 2|! and 2| which are disposed at opposite sides of the space l9 between the eyes produced by the blade extensions 9 and I 3, the pivot pin being extended through the eyes produced by the bladeextensions l, 8, I3, and I4, while the pivot pin 2| extends through the eyes produced by the blade extensions 9, II], II, and I2.

The anchor A includes a tamping bar 22 which comprises an elongated bar section 23 provided at its opposite ends with integral, downwardly extended ears 24 and 25 which are extended into the spaces l1 and I8 shown in Fig. 5. The elongated bar section 23 of the tamping bar 22 is preferably curved transversely as shown in Figs.

2, 4, and 6 to give increased strength thereto, and H the ears 24 and 25 of said tamping bar are provided with vertically elongated openings 26 through which the pivot pins 20 and 2| extend, said elongated openings permitting the tamping bar to move vertically slightly so that no precise accuracy is required in providing openings which will allow the bar section 23 of the tamping bar 22 to properly contact with the tops of the eyes of the blades. Also, the opposed ears 24 and 25 of the tamping bar 22 have arcuate edge portions 21 (Fig. 6) which serve a purpose to be hereinafter set forth.

The anchor rod 6 of the anchor A, hereinbefore mentioned, extends through an opening 28 formed through the elongated bar section 23 of th tamping bar 22 and projects through the space between the ribs 3 and downwardly between the blades l and 2 of the anchor, the upper end of said anchor bar being provided with an eye or other means (not shown) to which a guy or other element may be attached. Adjacent to its lower end the anchor rod has mounted thereon a blade-spreading member 29 of circular formation, said blade-spreading member being provided with an annular edge with opposed portions of which the blades of the anchor contact as said blades are being spread to their extended positions. The blade-spreading member 29 is provided with an opening formed centrally thereof through which the anchor rod 6 extends, a nut 38 being mounted on the screwthreaded lower end portion of the anchor rod so as to retain the blade-spreading member in place on the anchor rod.

In putting one of the improved anchors in use a hole is dug in the ground in line with the proposed line of extension of a guy to be anchored by the anchor, said hole being of such diameter that it will just receive the folded anchor. The anchor is then introduced into the hole with the blades thereof in their folded condition, as shown in Fig. 2, after which a tamping tool is passed downwardly into the hole and the curved bar section 23 of the tamping bar 22 is subjected to blows directed thereagainst by the tamping tool. Such blows will cause the lower face of the elongated bar section 23 of the tamping bar 22 to contact with the top portions of the eyes of the blades and move the pivoted upper portions of the blades downwardly relative to the anchor rod, the lower end portions of the blades being caused to move outwardly by contact thereof with the blade-spreading member 29 so as to penetrate into the undisturbed earth at opposite sides of the hole. It is to be noted that the elongated tamping bar 22 distributes the blows applied thereto throughout the hinged upper portion of the blade assembly, because of contact of said tamping bar with the taps of the eyes of the blades and due to the engagement of the ear of the tamping bar with th pivot pins 20 and 2!. When the blades have been expanded a sufficient distance the shoulders 5 of said blades will pass over the marginal edge of the bladespreading member 29 and engage said marginal edge of said blade-spreading member to lock the blades in their expanded positions. When the blades of the anchor A have been locked in their expanded positions as described, the prepared hole into which the folded anchor was originally introduced is refilled and tamped, and the anchor, with the upper end portion of its anchor rod extended above the ground, is ready for use.

It is to be noted that the upper edges of the blades l and 2 are in continuous contact with the arcuate edges 21 of the cars 24 and'25 of the tamping bar 22 as said blades are moved from their folded to their expanded positions by contact thereof with the blade-spreading member 29, as shown by the solid line and dotted line positions of the blades in Fig. 6. The result of this situation is that proper alinement of the blades with relation to the tamping bar and the anchor rod is maintained at all times during movement of the blades to their fully expanded positions.

An important feature of the invention is that because of the construction of the blades at the pivoted end portions thereof, very little sheet material is wasted in producing said end portions of an associated pair of blades, the only wastage of material suffered in stamping a pair of blades from a sheet of material being the small portions of the sheet of material cut away to provide the spaces l1, I8, and 19, shown in Fig. 5, and the slight wastage of material resulting. from providing the rounded lower edge portions of the blades. Also, because the eye-producing extensions 1, 8, 9, l8, II, [2, l3, and M, of the blades'l and 2, are provided with the strengthening ribs H; extended longitudinally of said extensions, the widths of the eyes of the blades are reduced so that said eyes will interfit with each other when the blades are assembled without any such binding action between adjacent eyes as would interfere with free relative movement of the blades.

I claim:

1. An earth anchor including blades provided with eyes at corresponding ends thereof, a pair of pivot pins extended through said eyes and spaced apart at the approximate transverse center of the blade structure, a tamping bar having a portion which overlies the eyes of the blades and which is provided with downwardly extended ears having openings through which said pivot pins extend, an anchor rod projected through an opening formed through the portion of the tamping bar which overlies the eyes of the blades and extended downwardly between said pivot pins and between the blades, and a blade-spreading member mounted on said anchor rod and receiving in contact therewith portions of said blades, said pivoted blades and the tamping bar associated therewith being movable downwardly relative to said anchonrod and its associated blade-spreading member to cause the blades to be moved to expanded positions by contact of said blades with said blade-spreading member.

2. An earth anchor including blades provided with eyes at corresponding ends thereof, a. pair of pivot pins extended through said eyes and spaced apart at the approximate transverse center of the blade structure, a tamping bar having a portion which overlies the eyes of the blades .andwhich is provided with downwardly extended ears .having elongated openings through which said pivot pins extend, an anchor vrod projected through an opening formed through the portion of the tamping bar which overlies the eyes of the blades and extended downwardly between said pivot pins and between the blades, and a bladespreading member mounted on said anchor rod and receiving in contact therewith portions of said blades, said pivoted blades and the tamping bar associated therewith being movable downwardly relative to said anchor rod and its associated blade-spreading member to "cause the blades to be moved to expanded positions by contact of said blade with said blade-spreading member.

3. An earth anchor including blades provided with eyes at corresponding ends thereof, a pair of pivot pins extended through said eyes and spaced apart at the approximate transverse center of the blade structure, a tamping bar having a transversely curved portion which overlies the eyes of the blades and which is provided with downwardly extended ears having elongated openings through which said pivot extend, an anchor rod projected through an opening formed through the portion of the tamping bar which overlies the eyes of the blades and extended downwardly between said pivot pins and between the blades, and a blade-spreading me;

ber mounted on said anchor rod and receiving in 1;

contact therewith portions of said blades, said pivoted blades and the tamping bar associated therewith being movable downwardly relative to said anchor rod and its associated blade-spreading member to cause the blades to be moved to expanded positions by contact of said blades with said blade-spreading member.

4. An earth anchor including blades stamped from sheet material and provided with extensions which are shaped to provide said blades with eyes at corresponding ends thereof, a pair of pivot pins extended through said eyes and spaced apart at the approximate transverse center of the blade structure, a tamping bar having a portion which overlies the eyes of the blades and which is provided with downwardly extended ears having openings through which said pivot pins extend, an anchor rod projected through an opening formed through the portion of the tamping bar which overlies the eyes of the blades and extended downwardly between said pivot pins and between the blades, and a blade spreading member mounted on said anchor rod and receiving in contact therewith portions of said blades, said pivoted blades and the tamping bar associated therewith being movable downwardly relative to said anchor rod and its associated blade-spreading member to cause the blades to be moved to expanded positions by contact of said blades with said blade-spreading member.

5. An earth anchor including blades stamped from sheet material and provided with extensions which are shaped toprovide said blades with eyes at corresponding ends thereof, said eyes being so shaped as to include tail portions which are secured to adjacent portions of the blades on which the eye-producing extensions are formed, a pair of pivot pins extended through said eyes and spaced apart at the approximate transverse center of the blade structure, a tamping bar having a portion which overlies the eyes of the blades and which is provided with downwardly extended ears having openings through which said pivot pins extend, an anchor rod projected through an opening formed through the portion of the tamping bar which overlies the eyes of the blades and extended downwardly between said pivot pins and between the blades, and a blade-spreading member mounted on said anchor rod and receiving in contact therewith portions of said blades, said pivoted blades and the tamping bar associated therewith being movable downwardly relative to said anchor rod and its associated blade-spreading member to cause the blades to be moved to expanded positions by contact of said blades with said blade-spreading member.

6. An earth anchor including blades stamped from sheet material and provided with extensions which are shaped to provide said blades with eyes at corresponding ends thereof, the extensions of each blade of a pair of blades being stamped from a sheet of material being produced by portions cut from the other of said pair of blades, a pair of pivot pins extended through said eyes and spaced apart at the approximate transverse center of the blade structure, a tamping bar having a portion which overlies the eyes of the blades and which is provided with downwardly extended ears having openings through which said pivot pins extend, an anchor rod projected through an opening formed through the portion of the tampmg bar which overlies the eyes of the blades and extended downwardly between said pivot pins and between the blades, and a blade-spreading member mounted on said anchor rod and receiving in contact therewith portions of said blades, said pivoted blades and the tamping bar associated therewith being movable downwardly relative to said anchor rod and its associated blade-spreading member to cause the blades to be moved to expanded positions by contact of said blades with said blade-spreading member.

7. An earth anchor including blades provided with eyes at corresponding ends thereof, a pair of pivot pins extended through said eyes and spaced apart at the approximate transverse center of the blade structure, a tamping bar having a portion which overlies the eyes of the blades and which is provided with downwardly extended ears having openings through which said pivot pins extend, an anchor rod projected through an opening formed through the portion of the tamping bar which overlies the eyes of the blades and extended downwardly between said pivot pins and between the blades, and a blade-spreading member mounted on said anchor rod and receiving in contact therewith portions of said blades, said pivoted blades and the tamping bar associated therewith being movable downwardly relative to said anchor rod and its associated blade-spreading member to cause the blades to be moved to expanded positions by contact of said blades with said blade-spreading member, said ears of said tamping bar being so shaped as to be provided with curved edges with which portions of said blades contact during movement of said blades from their folded to their expanded positions.

8. An earth anchor including blades provided with eyes at corresponding ends thereof, a pair of pivot pins extended through said eyes and spaced apart at the approximate transverse center of the blade structure, a tamping bar having a portion which overlies the eyes of the blades and which is provided with downwardly extended ears having elongated openings through which said pivot pins extend, an anchor rod projected through an opening formed through the portion of the tamping bar which overlies the eyes of the blades and extended downwardly between said pivot pins and between the blades, and a bladespreading member mounted on said anchor rod and receiving in contact therewith portions of said blades, said pivoted blades and the tamping bar associated therewith being movable downwardly relative to said anchor rod and its associated blade-spreading member to cause the blades to be moved to expanded positions by contact of said blades with said blade-spreading member, said ears of said tamping bar being so shaped as to be provided with curved edges with which portions of said blades contact during movement of said blades from their folded to their expanded positions.

9. An earth anchor including blades provided with eyes at corresponding ends thereof, a pair of pivot pins extended through said eyes and spaced apart at the approximate transverse center of the blade structure, a tamping bar having a portion which overlies the eyes of the blades and which is provided with downwardly extended ears having openings through which said pivot pins extend, an anchor rod projected through an opening formed through the portion of the tamping bar which overlies the eyes of the blades and extended downwardly between said pivot pins and between the blades, and a bladespreading member mounted on said anchor rod and receiving in contact therewith portions of said blades, said pivoted blades and the tamping bar associated therewith being movable downwardly relative to said anchor rod and its associated blade-spreading member to cause the blades to be moved to expanded positions by contact of said blades with said blade-spreading member, said blades being provided with opposed outwardly projected ribs which provide space for the reception of a portion of said anchor rod when the blades are in a, folded condition.

10. An earth anchor including blades provided with eyes at corresponding ends thereof, a pair of pivot pins extended through said eyes and spaced apart at the approximate transverse center of the blade structure, a tamping bar having a portion which overlies the eyes of the blades and which is provided with downwardly extended ears having openings through which said pivot pins extend, an anchor rod projected through an opening formed through the portion of the tamping bar which overlies the eyes of the blades and extended downwardly between said pivot pins and between the blades, and a bladespreading member mounted on said anchor rod and receiving in contact therewith portions of said blades, said pivoted blades and the tamping bar associated therewith being movable downwardly relative to said anchor rod and its associated blade-spreading member to cause the blades to be moved to expanded positions by contact of said blades with said blade-spreading member, said blades being provided with opposed outwardly projected ribs located at the approximate transverse centers of said blades which provide space for the reception of a portion of said anchor rod when the blades are in a folded condition.

CHESTER R. PIEPER, 

